Filling detector for looms



Oct. 24, 1933. @USER 1,932,133

FILLING DETECTOR FOR LOOMS Filed June 1, 1932 w/ T/VE 5s. I IINVENTOR.

C/J/vro/vo. CbBUEN. ISAAC ComSE/e.

BY mww ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 24, 1933 FILLING DETECTOR FOB, LOOMS Isaac Couser, Dover, N. H., assignor to Draper Corporation, Hopedale, Mass.,

Maine a corporation of Application June 1, 1932. Serial No. 614,754

4 Claims.

This invention relates to weft detector for looms of the side filling fork type for detecting the presence or absence of filling in the shed. More specifically stated the invention relates to novel means for preventing impairment of the operation of a side filling fork by reason of an accumulation of foreign matter on the grate.

The usual form of side weft detector includes a slidable and tiltable filling fork and a grate, the latter being mounted on the lay for carrying the filling, if it be present, against the tines of the fork, and the former operating, if not tilted by the filling, to effect a predetermined change in the operation of the loom. Obviously, a substantial accumulation of lint by whichterm is meant any foreign matter such as filling ends, on the grate may serve to tilt the fork when in fact no filling has been laid in the shed, and the failure of the fork to thus detect filling absence results in the formation of an imperfection in the cloth which may be quite large,jv depending upon how soon it is detected by the weaver or the loom is stopped from other sources.

Various devices intended to preventthe accumulation of lint on the grate have heretofore been devised. Howevento the best of my knowledge they have never been satisfactory in construction or operation and have. never gone into commercial use. Accordingly, prior to my invention it has been necessary to periodically manually clean the grates at frequent intervals.

The side filling fork, being positioned where it.

can detect the presence of filling in the shed only on alternate picks, is necessarily idle on the remaining, or non-detecting, picks, being inoperative at such times to affect the operation of the loom, regardless of whether it is tilted or not. Accordingly, on the non-detecting picks, the fork may or may not be tilted, depending on whether the grate is clogged with lint or free therefrom, but in either event the operation of the loom is not effected until the fork fails to be tilted on a succeeding detecting pick. I propose to take advantage of the idle period of the fork, by causing the fork itself to clear the grate on each non-detecting pick, in preparation for its detecting function on the succeeding picks.

It is, accordingly, the principal object of my invention to provide, in a loom including a side fork and grate, means for causing the fork to project through the grate on non-detecting picks and clear the latter of lint.

Other objects of my invention will, in part be hereinafter more specifically enumerated and will, in part, become obvious as the description proceeds.

Referring to the drawing: i Fig. 1 is 'a plan view of the left front corner of a loom embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 22 of Fig. l, and

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing a different relative positioning of the parts.

Inasmuch as my invention is concernedonly with the filling detecting mechanism, only such mechanism and a few of the conventional parts of the loom need be illustrated and described.

Such conventional parts consist of the left hand end 1 of the lay carrying a shuttle box 2, a picker 702:;

stick 3 and picker 4 for picking the shuttle 5 out of the box 2 through the shed, and suitable filling motion parts indicated generally at 6. The grate 7, comprised of upright, laterally spaced bars .8 between which the tines 9 of the 1 filling fork 10 enter, is carried by the lay as is usual.

The fork 10 is pivoted on a pin 11 carried by giherear'wardly ex ending arms 12 of a Slide 13 mounted in a way 14 on the loom frame and so";

yieldingly urged rearwardly toward the lay, by a suitable spring means, not shown. The weft hammer consists in the present instance, of an oscillating lever 15 reciprocating a member 16, to

which it is pivoted by means of a pin 17. Lever '3 15 makes one complete oscillation for each two picks, being timed to position member 16, which is guided on a bar 18, substantially at the rearward end of its stroke when the lay is on front center on the detecting pick, as shown in Fig. 2.

The detecting action of the filling fork shown, which is on the left hand side of the loom,'occurs on the beat-up of the lay immediately following the picking of the shuttle into the left hand box.

Should the shuttle at this time, leave a shot of filling in the shed the grate 7 will carry the strand of filling, f in Fig. 2, against the tines 9 of the fork and thus tilt the fork to the dot-and-dash line position of Fig. 2. However, should there be no filling in front of the grate, the tines of the fork will enter between the bars of the grate and thus the fork. will fail to be tilted, with the result that the tail 19 thereof will engage in front of a shoulder 20 provided on reciprocating member 16. When tail 19 of the fork engages the shoulder 20 a connection is established between the weft hammer and slide 13 whereby, upon forward movement of the weft hammer, the slide will operate through abutment 21, levers 22 and 23 and. shipper handle 24 to stop the loom in usual manner.

It is to be understood at this point that the particular train of mechanism set in operation 5 upon the failure of filling in the shed may be varied at will, or may even be made to effect other changes in,;the operation of the'loom than'the stoppage thereof, as is now well known in the art. The structural changes by which the above described mechanism may be converted to an embodiment of my invention are relatively simple, being comprised of the addition to .member 16 of a hook 25. The hook extends upwardly and the forwardly from the rearward end of member 16,

to form a slot 26 of sufficient vertical extent: to

permit the tail 19 of the filling fork to slide freely therein, while still positively locking the fork against tilting when the weft'hammer is at the forward end of its stroke as shown in Fig. 3.

20 The weft hammer occupies the position shown in-Fig. 3 at the time of-the beat-up of the lay immediately following the picking of the shuttle out of the left hand box, and through the shed to the right hand shuttle box (not shown). In 251",

tion shown in Fig. 3, causing the hook to lock the fork against tilting, on alternate picks, which are also the picks when the fork would normally not be operative to detect the presence or ab- 3O -=="senceof filling in the shed. The filling fork,'being locked against tiltingon each of the nondetecting picks, projects through the grate and clears the latter of lint by forcing it through the grate to the back thereoffwhere it can fall onto the floor, this action occurring even though the lint consists of filling ends or other more or less solid material that would serve to tilt the fork on the succeeding, or detecting pick. It is to be understood that when it is stated'that the fork refer to the normal, regular running of the loom. The fork may not so operate on the first pick after'restarting if the fork is held by the weft hammer, and there may be other rare exceptions f which' are not within the scope of such stateother words, the weft hammer occupies the posi' cleans the grate oneach non-detecting pick I.

The hook 25, being extended a considerable distance forwardly of shoulder 20, also serves the desirable function of preventing undue angular motion of the fork when it is tilted by the filling.

Having fully disclosed the preferred embodimentof my invention, I claim:

1. Ina loom, the combination of the lay, a tiltable side filling fork and a grate, and means operating on each alternate, non-detecting pick forpositively locking the fork against tilting and causing itto project through the grate to clear the latter of lint;

2. In a loom, the combination of the lay, a tiltable sidefilling. fork and a grate, a reciprocating member operableon alternate, detecting picks .to stop the loom should the said fork detect an absence of filling in the shed, and means carried by said member for positively locking the fork against tilting on each of the non-detecting picks to thereby cause the fork to project through the grateand clear the latter of lint.

3. In a loonrthe cornbinationof the lay, a

slidable and tiltable side filling fork and a grate, Y

a reciprocating member having means connectiblewith the filling fork for stopping the loom should the said'fork detect anaosence of filling in the shed on any of the alternate, detecting picks, and a hook on said meniber, engaging the fork on each of the non-detecting picks and locking it 195- against tilting, thereby causing the fork to project through the grate and clear the latter of lint.

4. In a loom, the combination of the lay, a V

slidable and tiltable side'filling fork and a grate, a weft hammer havinga shoulder engageable with the tail of the forkfor effecting stoppage of the loom should the said fork detect an absenceof filling in the shed on'any'of alternate, det'ect- 1 ing picks, and an upwardly and forwardly eX- tending hook on said weft hammer forlocking it against tilting, thereby causing the fork to projectthrough the grate andclearthe latter of lint;

engaging the fork on each of non-detecting picks and- ISAAC, COUSER'. 5

mentsr 

